q45a Buying advice

[silver2k2]

I have searched and read most of the q45 forum.

I am looking at a 95 q45a with 135k and a full dealer history, all the g sensors have been tested at dealership and owner says the car rides fine

Keith said it is in need of a recharge to the tune of 1200 just due to the miles

my question is how do I test if it is flat. Will I just know by the ride. I know its bad to drive on it flat. What I would like to do is drive it for a while and replace do the recharge in 6 months or so.

Is the a good test or should I just assume they need to be replaced right away the asking price is 3900.

Thanks

[Q45tech]

If one assumes standard Q all need a minimum of $3,000 [no matter what the seller says]................Double it on actives just to be sure.

Condition of Ac, alternator, transmission?

Still you probably won't have $10G in it for at least a year.

Depends on your standards and how you want to return this $58,000 car to near new.

[bruce.weiland]

Jared,

I was going to suggest that you drop by and we could figure it out. A quick mapquest informed me that the distance is over 400 miles and 6 hours plus. So that's out.

Someone said that a properly working "a" should corner like an AMG and ride like a lexus. That may be an exageration, but it give you the idea.

A "flat" active will handle very well and be fine on smooth roads, but on lumpy roads you will feel it, and you shouldn't.

My first two Q's were getting pretty flat by 40,000 miles. My current "a" had the actuators replaced at close to 60k miles. It is now at 132k and flat, flat, flat. Well not exactly, I put 6 of Keith's remanufactured accumulators on Thursday. The other three go on tomorrow morning.

I will be riding on that "cloud of nitrogen" by tomorrow afternoon.

The owner "thinks" the car rides fine because the ride has deteriated slowly and, if it is the first owner, doesn't remember what it feels like to have it work properly. If it is a second or later owner, they probably never knew what a properly working "a" feels like.

It is my suspision that most dearlers, even when they did replace flat actuators, total ignored the other 5 accumulators. So, most "a" cars only worked properly for the first 40 to 60K miles.

You are going to love your car.

Pay attention to what Keith says.

Bruce
Modified by bruce.weiland at 9:14 PM 2/16/2007

[silver2k2]

Thanks for information guys.

I decided that if I could the car for 3200 I could afford to do the repair right away and stay under my budget.

He said the transmission was dropped for inspection at 90k and he had the full 90k service done at the dealer I am not sure what that includes but at 120k he had the plugs done and the valve cover gaskets done. I budgeted around 1000 to start my rehab off the bat doing fluids and a tuneup but since it lookes like some of the stuff was done I afford to pay a little more.

He has some people looking at it for a "commuter". They probably dont even know what a q45a is, and thus may pay full price, knowing what I know I just cant. So if its still there sunday Iwill see how motivated he his

He says there is a little oxidation, I have a rotory buffer and full detail supplies I confident I can get anything out short of peeling clearcoat

Thanks for all the info guys I will be spending alot of time on this forum. As I rehab my Q once I finally get one.

[maxnix]

Why would anyone "drop the transmission" to inspect it?

The big service is 120K (every 60K), but Infiniti prescribed service is minimal to keep it running past OME warranty until it is on the owner's dime. It is not sufficient for longer term preventative maintenance.

Be patient. If the commuters buy it, it will be for sale again as soon as they get the deaer bid to repair the active suspension.

[silver2k2]

Yeah well he didnt sell it last weekend.

What do you guys think its worth? Its black on tan. Maybe I should wait for a non active white one which is what I really want. I just think its rare to find a second owner dealer maintained car at this age. I have read 30 pages of Q45 forum and want to start fixing up a Q!

[ceningolmo]

I'd go for it if you could get in to the $2500 range. Assuming all else is well...

rehabilitating an Active isn't as bad as it sounds. And, the ride is spectacular once it is working properly. I'd definately do it if you can get the right price.

Save the Actives!!

[silver2k2]

The lowest he said he would go so far is 3400. If it doesnt sell this weekend I may ask him if he is willing to go lower. I have been really fighting with the idea of the active repair. I have read TONS and the rest of the system seems pretty reliable (solid state sensors etc.) I am an car enthusiast and I do all my own work, so the mechanics do not scare more the price of the parts. The car I will be replacing is a 1992 nissan stanza with a 196k it does not drip a drop of oil and I have records back to 94. I really dont want to sell it but the wife says I need something with airbags for my commute.

[bruce.weiland]

Silver2k2,

I recently, a week ago, replace all 9 of the accumulators.

(by the way, I paid $3,500 for my 132k mile '94 q45a - with perfect interior and paint, except bumpers -- but not service records)

I haven't turned a wrench in years. The first five were very easy. The other four took a little more effort because of either tight spaces, very tight bolts or the fact that I did not have the car very high off the ground on the jack stands. I sent about 8 hours or so over two days. I could do it in 4 to 6 hours now.

IT IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. IT IS REALLY, REALLY EASY!

JUST DO IT!

Having had two actives from 91 through 2001, a '91 and a '95 and now with a new to me, '94, I can't recommend an active enough.

I remember in 91 I had a patient who was a GM (general manager) at a GM dealership. I took him out for a ride, because I had been bragging about the active suspension. We headed for the transition of the intersection where there was a rather deep dip. He expected me to slow down as we approached the dip. Not only did I not slow down, but I accelerated through the dip.

He expected the car to dive into the dip, then get launched, and finally, probably bottom out.

What the car did was act like the "cheetah" and go right through the dip almost flat. We could "hear" the tires working, but did not feel a thing.

He was very impressed. Through the years he often commented about that test drive.

Don't let the active suspension scare you. You will be rewarded greatly.

Bruce

[silver2k2]

Then 3400 hundred seems fair, but I still have to check out the extent of the paint oxidation. I would feel alot better at 3000, that puts me at 4200 with the suspension fixed up and leaves some money for the fluid flushes. I am also looking at a 95 regular one for 4k firm with 115k. He had the 90k done I am not sure what that means.

You are sure getting me excited about the active though. Thanks for input

[bruce.weiland]

Now I did buy an active, but that doesn't mean you need to pay as much as I did.

The collective wisdom on value is generally correct. That being said, with free trade, what ever is being sold is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay.

Does the individual selling the active realize that it is not functioning correctly and that the price of only one shock/actuator is a grand or so? Additoinally, there are 5 other accumulators that need replacing. That the fluid is over $28 per liter (retail) and the car takes 5 liters after the system has been properly flushed (the fluid should be changed, according to Infiniti, every 60k miles).

Your approach might be, "Boy, I really love your car. I know it's really worth more than I or anyone could pay you for it. I would love to give you what you are asking, but here is my problem. If I buy your car I really want to take care of it properly. That includes restoring as much of the car to near new condition that I can. The suspension alone is an extremely expensive proposition and here is why;"

Then go into the above itemization of restoration. If you have already told them that the $10k worth of OEM parts can be refurbished for $1,200, then at least at the cost of 10 hours worth of labor, 10 liters of fluid, etc.

This just might help the seller to become sensitive to your desire to own his "baby" for less than he anticipated.

[silver2k2]

Yeah it sounds like he wants someone to take care of it. He had already done his own investigation and had gotton a qoute from keith to do the recharge for 1200. His deal is that he uses the car for business and it is fully depreciated otherwise he would not be selling it.